Happy Thursday, friends! Our New York adventures continued yesterday with a trip into the Big Apple. Lotte had been once before when she was about four months old, but this was Grace’s first time, and I think we packed in just about as much fun as a 3-year-old and 19-month-old can handle for a day 😉 My stepdad drove in with us, which was lovely, and we met Chris in the UES, since he was coming back from a work trip in San Francisco on the red eye.

The adventure started with a walk down Fifth Ave., checking out the Metropolitan Museum of Art (from the outside — checking out the inside will come when the girls are a tad older), and grabbing bagels from our old bagel joint in our old neighborhood to have near the Alice in Wonderland statue and the Conservatory Water.

I ditched the family for a little bit to grab coffee with an old magazine editor of mine near the park, but Lotte and G continued their adventures with Dad and Grandpa, checking out and riding the Central Park Carousel, seeing the Bethesda Fountain and the John Lennon Imagine memorial, as well as taking in all of the performers (they were particular enthralled by a bubble artist!).

After a full morning we headed over to the Central Park Zoo. I had been to the zoo a couple times before, but this was my first time checking out the adjacent Tisch Children’s Zoo, which was so adorable. There were a ton of animals the kids could feed and touch, as well as a bunch of mazes and climbing structures for them to get their wiggles out.

Even after all of that, perhaps my favorite part of the day was bringing the girls to check out our actual old neighborhood. We stopped by our old stoop to take a family photo, and even grabbed lunch at our old neighborhood pizza joint, the best there is, Zesty’s.  As if my heart hadn’t had enough for the day, the guys who work behind the counter even remembered us from back in the day.

Le sigh. Oh, New York. You will always have a piece of my heart.

And that was our jam-packed city day, friends! I hope you’re all braving this weather (it was stinkin’ hot in the city yesterday!) and having the best summers. We’re off to Albany tomorrow for my cousin’s wedding, and I can’t wait. The farmhouse we rented has a pool and a lake and tons of space for the girls to run around and play – it should be a good time.

Bis bald, friends!